Most Parents Would Trust A Self-Driving Car More Than a Stranger, Ford Finds in Trend Report

December 10, 2018

By Amanda Weston

If forced to choose between putting their child in driverless car or in a vehicle driven by a stranger, the majority of parents, Ford reports, would prefer a non-human to take the wheel.

"When we talk about trust, that's somewhere where we see something really jumping out at us," Sheryl Connelly, futurist at Ford ($F), told Cheddar Monday. "67 percent of the people we spoke to in our survey said they would rather their child ride in a self-driving vehicle than be in a vehicle with a stranger. And I think that's really powerful."

That statistic is just one of many compiled in the seventh annual Further With Ford trend report.

The report amassed the opinions of survey respondents from around the world. The report shows that 43 percent of adults in the U.S. believe self-driving cars will drive more safely than humans at the wheel.

Another part of the global survey looked at generational perspectives on the new technology: 72 percent of millennials said one of the biggest benefits of self-driving tech is the luxury of having more free time, compared to just 51 percent of baby boomers. Gen X and Gen Z came in at 64 percent and 71 percent, respectively.

With self-driving at the forefront, Ford may already be building a solid reputation. Connelly said research shows if a group of self-driving cars pulled up to the curb, most people would choose the Ford model.

"We think that has a lot to do with our legacy of trust and transparency," Connelly said.

Here are some of the other takeaways from the report:

87 percent of American adults think that technology is the biggest driver of today’s change.

44 percent of women and 37 percent of men are afraid of Artificial Intelligence technology.

42 percent of millennials and 43 percent of Gen Z believe that their phone/device knows more about them than their family.

More than 75 percent of adults worldwide think that companies don’t do enough to accommodate the needs of working parents.

84 percent of adults agree companies should offer mental health days as part of their benefits.